National Twenty20 Cup: Captaincy ruined my career says Azeem Ghumman

Former U-19 captain rues forced responsibility after Hawks’ exit.

KARACHI: Hyderabad captain Azeem Ghumman has blamed the captain’s arm-band for his below-par show in the National Twenty20 Cup where his side was knocked out on the second day.

Ghumman, who led Pakistan under-19 in the 2010 World Cup, managed just 27 runs in two matches and with much expected from the right-hander at the top of the order, succumbing to pressure and exiting the tournament so early left him dejected.

“We put on a poor show,” Ghumman told The Express Tribune. “But we need to be honest and admit that despite the talent we have, the lack of facilities means we’re unable to perform at the same level as other regions.

“We’ve also just lost four to five players to department teams and that means we’ve had new faces coming in with the transition in effect.”

According to Ghumman, who has also captained Pakistan ‘A’, the management was informed of his reluctance to lead the side as the 20-year-old sought a pressure-free environment conducive to free-scoring.

“As a player, no doubt you’re committed to the cause but as a captain, there’s so much more going through your head. You need to plan for the team and you can’t focus on your own performance. To be honest, captaincy has ruined my career. I told the management over a month ago that I’ve had enough after captaining the region for almost two-and-half years but I guess they were unable to find a suitable replacement which is why I was forced to lead this time as well.”

Ghumman burst onto the domestic circuit with 355 runs in his maiden first-class season, aged just 16. His run-scoring in the following season continued with 728 in just nine matches including a career-best 199. He made his limited-overs U-19 debut as captain but his form dipped last season as Ghumman could score just 354 with two half-centuries.

“I had a poor last season but now that I have signed with SNGPL, I hope to learn from all the experienced individuals in the team and improve my performance. When I started my career I had fewer shots and not much responsibility.

“Now I need to think about what shot to choose when, and what the consequences may be. Hopefully, the SNGPL move will help me improve.

“The aspiration to wear the green jersey again remains.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th,  2011.